A lost Cocteau Twins 1996 webcast concert has been unearthed and remastered

Webcast concerts were considered cutting-edge in 1996. Earlier that year, Tori Amos had been the first major-label artist to release a single (‘Caught A Lite Sneeze’) on the internet before general release. Webcasting live events was in its infancy, but the potential was there for artists to explore. The Cocteau Twins included a webcast as part of their tour to support ‘Milk and Kisses’, which turned out to be their final album. The tour stopped off at their own studio, September Sounds, which hosted a small community of guests, but the main draw was broadcasting the concert online.

Fans could watch the concert, so long as they downloaded the right software and had access to a 14.4kbps or 28.8kbps modem. If you lament discovering the original 144p and 240p videos from early YouTube, those would look stunning compared to the 2-inch wide video footage. Yet, this exciting venture was a success. Fans poured in to listen, the website and connections were all on the struggle bus, but everyone was treated to a band on form.

I often call ‘Milk and Kisses’ the Cocteau Twins’ “blissed out” album. It is so delicate and pristine, and that carries through into a marvellous concert. Elizabeth Fraser’s vocals are dynamic and electric as she runs the emotional gamut. Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde work their talents to create sumptuous ethereal dream pop. The concert reached legendary status for fans, but was thought lost to time. Delightfully, Lincoln Fong, the sound engineer, had a mix desk recording and has remastered and released it for fans to enjoy again. It is a fantastic hour of live music from one of the most enduringly unique bands of music.

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